THE SILENCE THAT FALLS UPON THE LIVING ROOM could be cut with a knife it’s so fucking thick.
It doesn’t last long, though.
My heart leaps, the answer to this riddle easy to find after everything Vee has told us.
“What are you—” Cody starts, but Colt shuts him up, jumping in with a question, his face a picture of self-control.
“It’s Rose, isn’t it?”
“What the fuck, Colt?!” Cody booms, staggering to his feet. “You think Mom had another kid?! That’s ridiculous.”
“Not Mom. Dad. That’s why Vee’s not related to us in any way. Because Rose isn’t her biological sister. They’ve got different moms and different dads.”
“She’s still my sister,” Vee says defensively. “We might not be blood, but she’s been my sister since the day she was born.”
“You’re insane. It’s one thing accusing Dad of having an affair, but a different thing entirely to say he’s abandoned his daughter!”
“He didn’t,” Vivienne chips in quietly. “Becca never told him about Rose. He doesn’t know she exists. I don’t know the details. Dad only told me enough to explain why Becca begged him to break Conor and me up. She doesn’t want your father finding out. I think she’s afraid to lose Rose.”
“Shit…” Cody mumbles, more to himself than either one of us. “This… this is above my fucking pay grade. I’m gonna go get Nico. You call the others.”
“It’s almost one in the morning,” I remind him.
“So what? If this doesn’t warrant a crisis meeting, I don’t fucking know what does. Call them.”
“He’s right,” Colt huffs, pulling out his phone. “I’ll call them and start the coffee machine. I have a feeling we won’t be getting any sleep tonight.”
Vee looks at me when Colt leaves. Wet strands of hair plaster her forehead, eyes uncertain. “I said this isn’t wrong, and technically, it’s not. We’re not related, but—”
“There is no but, baby,” I cut in.
She had so much conviction in her voice when she told me there’s nothing wrong about us. She believes it, but she’s unsure of something. I love that I read her with such ease. She’s unsure because she’s scared I’ll see a problem with our relationship.
I don’t. I really fucking don’t. There’s no blood connection. We’ve not grown up together. I didn’t know Rose until a couple months ago. She’s Vee’s sister because they were raised together, and mine because… my dad’s an adulterer.
Regardless what anyone thinks about us, I don’t give a damn. She’s mine. She’s so deep under my skin I don’t think I’d give her up even if she really were my sister.
I mean, I probably would, but… who the fuck knows?
No one, and thank God I don’t have to find out.
“We’re not related, Little Bee.”
“No, we’re not,” she agrees, worrying her bottom lip, a tiny, cheeky smile lighting her eyes.
“That’s my job,” I say, taking over, biting that sweet, swollen lip, then devouring her mouth and savoring every second.
Never breaking the kiss, I pull her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her, turning the sweet kiss into something more profound. Deeper, greedier, Almost fucking brutal.
A ball of lust burns through my ribs. I’m not far from ripping off her sweatpants and impaling her on my cock right here to remind her who she belongs to.
As much as I’d love that, heavy footsteps on the stairs stop me before the idea sprouts roots.
I cut off the kiss, stroking my thumbs under Vee’s eyes. “I missed you. Never try leaving me again.”
She rests her forehead against mine, eyes closed, fingertips ghosting the line of my jaw. “I promise.”
“Nice to see you back,” Nico says, entering the living room.
He’s had the decency to put on sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair a mess, jaw set tight.
Vivienne slides from my lap, looking him over and cowering a little. “Did Colt tell you?”
“He told me there’s something I should hear. Considering he dragged me out of bed at one in the morning, I guess I won’t like whatever it is.”
She looks at me, question marks swirling in her silver eyes like she’s nonverbally asking whether to tell him now or wait for the others to arrive.
“Go ahead,” I say, just as Colt comes back with a pot of coffee and a handful of cups.
Nico pulls the piano stool closer, legs spread wide, elbows on his knees as he runs his fingers through his tangle of hair. “I’m all ears.”
“You have a sister,” she utters.
I thought she’d start from the top, explain why she’d been gone and what her father said, but no. Straight out with the big guns. Maybe it’s better to just rip the Band-Aid.
“Excuse me?” He looks between me and Vivienne, distress crossing his face. “What do you mean, a sister? You?”
“No, not me. Although that’s why I wasn’t around the past few days. I thought it was me, but… it’s Rose. Her mom, Rebecca, had an affair with your father.”
Nico’s jaw tightens, and his hands ball into tight fists. It costs him a lot of effort not to lash out and scream every question streaming through his mind.
The fact no one says anything tells Nico all he needs to know. This isn’t a joke. It’s real.
He grinds his teeth, eyes on Vivienne, pressuring her to explain. I don’t think he trusts himself to say a word yet.
“Start from the top,” I tell Vee, tracing a hand down her spine.
Nico’s rage isn’t for her, but I understand why she might feel it is. It’s hard being in the same room with him sometimes, even when he’s in a good mood, and right now, he’s raging. Though doing a better job of keeping it in than six months ago.
Mia worked magic on his mental state.
Vee explains everything she learned the past few days, keeping nothing back. She tells him how she thought she was our sister and our mother gave her up, and then what she learned from her father earlier this evening.
“He was trying to protect Rose and Becca. Becca more than anything, I think. Maybe himself a little, too. He loves Rose like she’s his. Always did, but he loves me, too, and he couldn’t stand seeing me hurt any longer. Becca has been lying to Rose her whole life. She thinks my dad is hers. She has no idea she’s your sister.”
“Whose fucking fault is that?” Nico grinds out the words at no one in particular. “Jesus fucking Christ. I can’t believe Dad gave her up just like that. I can’t fucking believe he cheated on Mom.”
Vee squirms in her seat. Nico’s tone sends chills even down my spine. “Your father doesn’t know about Rose,” she says quietly. “Rebecca never told him. From what I know, it was a brief affair. I don’t know the details and don’t want to speculate, but I know she never told your father she was pregnant.”
I can tell from the look on Nico’s face that this information changes a whole fucking lot. He’s still incandescent, but he’s fuming less. The fact our dad doesn’t know doesn’t vindicate him, but it explains why we only now find out we have a little sister.
Logan, Theo, and Shawn arrive not long later. Vivienne tells the same story again, answering question upon question, sometimes the same ones repeating, for over three hours. Once they stop asking, a plan of action is formed.
We’re visiting our parents tomorrow to confront our father. And then… we’re telling him he’s got a daughter.
It’s going to be one hell of a fucking day.
***
Shortly after five in the morning, the door closes behind Logan, Theo, and Shawn, and I immediately haul Vee into my arms, running for the stairs, deaf to Colt’s hold on a minute.
I held on for four fucking hours.
Enough is enough.
It’s light outside, but sleep is the last thing on my mind when I stand Vee in the bathroom, her eyes heavy.
“Tell me you love me,” I say, watching her in the mirror. I’ve not had time to stop and appreciate her telling me earlier. “Tell me.”
“I love you.”
All air leaves my lungs, my heart wrung out like a sponge. “I love you more, baby.” I wrap my arms around her, clinging to her as I nuzzle the crook of her neck, then whirl her round to face me, our kiss a breath away. “I love you so fucking much. Never leave me.”
“I promise.” Her lips meet mine, the kiss slow, gentle, until I take control, sinking deeper, tasting her like a starving man.
I am. A week without her is too long.
“You haven’t told me why you ran here,” I say, trawling the hoodie over her head then yanking the sweatpants to pool at her feet. I land a hard slap on her ass, tearing a needy whimper out of her mouth that has my cock swelling and jerking. “Why did you run, Vivienne? Where’s your car?”
“It broke down halfway here.” The sentence ends with a sweet gasp courtesy of my fingers gliding over the soaked fabric between her thighs.
“You need a new one.”
She taps the back of my head. “Don’t even think about buying me a car, Conor.”
I can’t say it hadn’t crossed my mind, but I can’t. I don’t want Vivienne to feel out of place in our relationship. As much as I’d like to provide, I know she’s more than capable of doing this alone and needs her independence.
“I didn’t say anything. I know you won’t let me buy you a car, but you need to compromise.” I spin her around so her back is to my chest. Hitching her panties aside, I slip two fingers into her warm, wet pussy, arching them to stroke that sensitive little button. “Let me help you find a replacement, or at least take a look at that death trap.”
Her head falls back against my shoulder, and her lips part as she softly replies, “Okay, but promise you won’t pay for repairs when I’m not looking.”
Peeling her bra cup away, I toy with her nipple and dip my head, kissing her neck. “I promise, baby.”
Taking my sweet time, I summon her orgasm, then ease off. “But once we’re married, my money is yours. Deal?”
She answers with a whimper, followed by a moan when I up the tempo, edging her again.
“Married? Slow down, and… oh God I can’t think when you’re touching me,” she wails, clutching my wrists. “This isn’t fair! You can’t manipulate me with sex.”
“I’d never do that, Vee. You know I wouldn’t.” I kiss the back of her head before turning her around. I’m not slowing down. No fucking way. “We’ll talk after you orgasm. There’ll be time for teasing later. Right now, I need to feel your walls quaking around my cock.”
“Yes, please.”
I strip off my clothes, help peel her panties down her smooth legs, and whip off her bra before we both get under the shower. With one arm around her waist, I spread my fingers in the middle of her chest, dotting her neck with open-mouth kisses.
“I want this little heart beating faster, baby,” I say. God, I love when she shudders in my arms. The anticipation sends us sky high as I push her against the wall. “Legs apart and arch that spine.”
She takes a broader stance, lifting her chin and presenting her perfect ass, the dimples on her lower back begging me to sink my thumbs in and drive myself home.
So I do.
“Fuck,” I groan, guiding my cock inside her hot pussy, sinking balls-deep as I brace against the wall with one hand, the other restraining her wrists. “Fucking perfect. Don’t move, Little Bee…”
“Feels nice,” she breathes, tilting her head far enough to rest against my pec, and tips her chin up further, expecting a spider-man-style kiss.
She gets it as I pull my hips back. Sliding back in, slowly for now, savoring the moment, a low growl leaves my lips. I’m fucking drugged by this intimacy with her warm, familiar body.
“If you ever try to hide anything from me again—”
“I won’t,” she interrupts, pressing closer to me. “I promise. I… oh shit.”
“Good?” I question, upping the tempo when her legs quiver.
She bobs her head. “So good.”
I’m almost all the way out when I drive back into her. Hot water trails her back, forming a puddle where her spine dents. I whip her hair to the front, dipping my head to kiss her nape. The kiss turns into a nibble, and then I bite her shoulder.
She’s on her toes, and my knees are bent, or this position wouldn’t be easy for us. She’s seven inches shorter, the top of her head fitting under my chin without an issue.
I reach down her stomach, two fingers strumming her clit while my thrusts quicken every time a needy whimper leaves her lips.
“Let me have it,” I say when she’s bucking against me. “Come for me. Come with me.”
Her knees jolt, her loud breathless moan swallowed by the wet sounds our bodies make as our hips connect. The second she pulsates around me, I come too.
“I love you,” I whisper, dark spots dancing on my eyelids. “You’re fucking stuck with me now.”
She slumps against me, nowhere near as exhausted as I’d like. We took the edge off, but it’ll take a while to get my fill.
Although I don’t think I ever will.
Once we shower, I tuck her in, curving her into my side, drunk on how good it feels to have her back in my bed. Back in my arms, safe and mine.
“I realized something when you were gone,” I say.
She lifts her head, looking into my eyes with a flake of uncertainty. “What’s that?”
“I’ve tiptoed around you too much.”
She rises further away, bracing on one elbow. “Tiptoed around me? You started by kissing me without asking permission then proceeded to stalk me, disregarding everything I said about not wanting a date. How’s that tiptoeing?”
“I don’t mean the start, Vee. I mean everything since. I let your mind steal you away time and time again. I’ve been so fucking scared to lose you I let you dictate the rules. All of them.”
She sits up, her shoulders tense. “How have I been dictating the rules? You got everything you wanted.”
“Not even half of what I want, baby. And not fast enough. I let you keep me at a distance because you’re strong. Too strong, baby, despite your fragile mind. I won’t make that mistake again. No more tiptoeing.”
She smooths her loose hair behind her ears. “I wasn’t keeping you at a distance. I just… we’re still so fresh, Conor. We only met two months ago. What if you get bored? What if, after a while, I’m not enough?”
“There you go with that attitude again.” I take her waist, bringing her closer. I move her so she lies flat on the bed and dip my head to her lips to kiss slow, gentle biting pecks full of promises. “I never want to hear you say you’re not enough. You’re more than I ever hoped for, but you’ve had one foot out the door since you gave in and admitted we’re dating. I’m not letting you go, Vee. You need to understand this thing between us is in no way temporary.”
She smiles small, her hand meeting my cheek. “I know.”
“I don’t think you do.” I rise on my elbows. “This is it, baby. You and me. We’re leaving your slow-ass pace. I’ve accommodated it long enough, and it’s your turn to compromise.”
“I don’t know what you mean. You have me. I’m yours. We’re together. I just blew a gigantic hole in your family because I couldn’t stay away. What else do you want?”
“I want my forever with you.”
“Forever?”
“Yeah. Forever. I spent the last week thinking. Trying to imagine my life without you, but I couldn’t. Somewhere deep down, I knew you’d come back to me. I knew you wouldn’t throw this away.”
Her bottom lip quivers like she’s about to cry. “Thank you,” she whispers, taking a calming breath.
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For not believing me at Abby’s. For believing I love you. For giving me space when I know it was the last thing you wanted to do.”
“Don’t thank me for that. There’s nothing I regret more than not staying with you that day. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’ll never leave you alone with anything ever again.”
She pulls me down for a kiss like she’s trying to seal that promise. I let her take charge this once.
“Move in with me,” I say. “But not here.”
When I try to kiss her again, she turns her head to the side like she knows I want to shut her up so she can’t say no.
“You’re moving this along really fast, Conor.”
“Not fast enough. Move in with me. I bought a condo.”
Her eyebrows draw together. “You bought a condo? When?”
“I spent three days barely moving from my bed when you were gone, and I realized it didn’t matter how long it took. I knew you’d come back and when you did I’d want you for myself, so on day four, I called Logan. They’re finishing that development uptown, and he got me a good deal. The paperwork will take a while, but we should be okay to move in about two months. It’s not huge, but it’ll be enough for now.”
She’s silent for a while. I think her mind needs a moment to settle, so instead of pushing for an answer, I fold her into my chest waiting, stroking her hair. She doesn’t protest, which is half the battle won. I think she’s just weighing the pros and cons and making her peace with what’s happening.
Because it is fucking happening.
I’m yet to tell Nico I’m moving out. I expected Logan to call him the second he hung up with me, but he didn’t, so it’s all on me. I’ll tackle that issue soon.
“Ambulance thought,” Vee says, lifting her head to kiss my chin. “I don’t know how to navigate this as easily as you, but I’ll try not to let fear choke me. I’ll follow your lead.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes. I’ll move in with you.”
I kiss her head, a sense of calmness washing over me. “Good. While you’re so agreeable, stop taking the pill, baby. I want you pregnant.”
“I’m not that agreeable.” She playfully whacks my head, then pushes me off her and sits cross-legged under the comforter. “You’re crazy, Conor. We’ve been dating two months.”
“And?”
“What do you mean and? That’s definitely too soon! Slow down.”
I rest against the headboard, looking her over. “Why do you think it’s too soon? You have doubts about me?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… people don’t do this so fast.”
“Are those people living your life, Little Bee? Because you only get one shot, you know? No replays.”
She toys with my fingers. “I know that.”
“Then stop worrying what people think. Do what you want to do. Don’t hold back because some hypothetical someone might think it’s too soon. They have their own lives to live. This is ours.”
She tugs her lip, taking a moment to think before her eyes meet mine. “We’re not even engaged. Nowhere near the status, and you’re already talking about kids. It’s crazy!”
“I can put a ring on your finger tomorrow if it’ll move things along.”
She laughs.
Fucking laughs in my face like she thinks I’m joking.
I’m not. I watched Shawn break things off over and over again with Jack because he listened to his friends when they said he should try different things.
Sometimes, when he gets drunk, he rants, eyes tearful, lamenting the years he wasted listening to people who should have no sway over his life choices.
I watched Logan waste three fucking years, pretending he’s over Cassidy. He regrets those years more than anything else.
I’d rather be like Theo or Nico. Probably mostly Nico. Grab the girl and never let her go. Theo took too long pretending he wasn’t into Thalia, keeping her as a friend because good old fear held him back.
Over the years, I met, fucked, kissed, and even dated my fair share of girls, but I never had such a powerful longing for anyone but Vee. I know she’s it for me. It seems to be the case with all Hayes men. Once the cupid hits hard enough, we’re done.
Maybe it’s in our DNA. Though considering recent events that’s up for debate until Dad paints the whole picture. Still, save for him, it seems once the Hayes fully commit, it’s for the rest of our lives.
Or maybe we’re just fucking stubborn.
Either way, I’m not wasting time. I don’t want regrets. I want my forever, and I want it to start now.
“I’ll make you a deal, speedy,” Vee says, crawling to rest her head in the crook of my neck. “Give us a year without racing ahead like I’m about to run, then we can talk about wedding venues, rings, and kids.”
“A year?” My head slams the headboard. “Jesus, woman… Fine. A year is doable, but your ass better not be on the pill next New Year’s Eve because we’re spending that day in bed making babies.”
She jerks away from me, eyes blinking in panic like she just grasped the topic. “Babies? Shit… you think we’ll have triplets?! What are the chances?”
Now I’m the one laughing. “Pretty low, unfortunately, but I’ll do my best.”
